The 5 Best Cheeses We Bought in 2022

Cheese has always been a welcome addition to our grocery lists, and this year we’ve probably tried more varieties than ever before. After all, with the sheer size of their cheese selections, it’s virtually impossible to leave a Trader Joe’s or Aldi at this point without throwing an extra wedge into the cart.

It was tough to narrow down our favorites from the mix of rich, creamy, and, dare we say, buttery wheels, blocks, wedges, and slices. But we did! These are the five best cheeses we bought in 2022. Bonus: Several would make excellent holiday gifts for the fromage aficionados on your shopping list.

This is one of our favorite Aldi finds of the year. Rougette Bon-Fire Marinated Grilling Cheese doesn’t melt when cooked, but becomes irresistibly soft and chewy. It’s delicately flavored with herbs and garlic that gets deep into the milky-sweet cheese, and makes a great dinner when served with an arugula salad, or just with some fruit and crackers so it can really shine on its own.

Touted as the “Holy Grail of soft cheese,” Mont d’Or can only be described as a self-gifting ready-to-eat fondue. This specialty cheese from Switzerland is more expensive than some other selections due to its short production season, but it’s worth it for its one-of-a-kind eating experience. While you can stir it into mashed potatoes or mac and cheese to take your dishes to the next level, it’s best recommended to throw the whole wheel in the oven and bake it until molten and bubbly for a veritable fondue party that’s ready to dip in minutes.

Although American cheese is often misaligned as waxy and flavorless, the folks at Organic Valley will make even the biggest skeptics change their minds. Organic Valley’s Premium Organic American Cheese is less processed than some other cheese suppliers, so the flavors really get to shine in a melty, buttery grilled cheese on a cold winter night — or any time of year!

Gouda is a special kind of cheese; crowd-pleasingly creamy and nutty, but just unfamiliar enough that you’ll still look like a cheese expert if you served it to company. Scray Cheese Company has been making cheese for over 100 years, so it has plenty of practice perfecting the recipe. This Gouda is great served with crackers and spicy pepperoni. It also has a long shelf-life, and it actually tastes better the more it sits in your fridge.

The San Francisco-based Cowgirl Creamery may be turning the Bay Area into Paris’ next big rival cheese city. A triple-cream cheese is made of at least 75% butterfat, and Cowgirl Creamery’s Mt. Tam has an almost fudgy texture from all that extra richness. It sings when served with sliced baguettes, but take the Western theme up a notch and melt it over a freshly grilled steak for a meal that will fill up even the hungriest cowgirl.

Did your favorite make the list? Tell us about it in the comments.